Let’s face it: when playing sports, injuries can and do occur, either accidental or deliberate. One of the most important pieces of safety equipment, next to wearing a helmet, is a mouthguard. A properly fitted mouthguard not only can save your smile, but can protect you from facial injuries.
Believe it or not, a mouthguard does more than just protect the teeth from being broken or knocked out. It also protects the gums, lips, and dental arches. If a player falls or gets hit, a mouthguard can help prevent them from biting through their tongue, cheek, or lip. It also can protect them from fracturing or dislocating their jaw.
Types of Mouthguards
There are three types of mouthguards and available in sizes for both children and adults: the ready-made, the boil and bite, and the custom fit. Both the ready-made and the boil and bite styles are available at most sporting goods stores. The ready-made is ready out of the package and just placed into the mouth. The boil and bite style is first boiled, then placed into the mouth and bitten down into to provide a tailored fit. The custom fit mouthguard is professionally fit by a dentist and provides the greatest amount of protection. The custom fit is also recommended if you wear braces or have other dental appliances or restorations.
Currently, there are over 29 sports that use and/or require mouthguards. Football, hockey, lacrosse, and boxing are among the most obvious sports that use mouthguards, but did you know that they are also used in figure skating, gymnastics, and running? The use of a mouthguard is beneficial in both contact and non-contact sports.
As you can gather, wearing a mouthguard for sports is essential. The protection that it provides goes well beyond that of potential cosmetic injuries. For further information on how a mouthguard can protect you or to inquire about a custom fit mouthguard, please feel free to contact North Tonawanda Family Dentistry right here in North Tonawanda, New York.